High Efficiency Thin Film CdTe and a-Si Based Solar Cells: Annual Technical Report, 4 March 1999 - 3 March 2000

Compaan, A. D. ; Deng, X. ; Bohn, R. G. (The University of Toledo)

National Renewable Energy Laboratory (U.S.)

关键词: Sputter Plasmas;    Pv;    14 Solar Energy;    Thin Films Pv;    Bond Lengths;   

DOI  :  10.2172/788762
RP-ID  :  NREL/SR-520-30739
RP-ID  :  AC36-99GO10337
RP-ID  :  788762

美国|英语

来源: UNT Digital Library

【 摘 要 】

This report describes the research on high-efficiency CdTe-based thin-film solar cells and on high-efficiency a-Si-based thin-film solar cells. Implemented a diode-array spectrograph system and used optical emission spectroscopy to help optimize the reactive sputtering of N-doped ZnTe for CdTe back-contact structures. Identified the photoluminescence signatures of various defect states in CdTe related to Cd vacancies, CuCd acceptors, Cu-VCd complexes, and donor-acceptor pairs, and related these states to instabilities in the hole concentration at room temperature. Showed that Cu is an important non-radiative center in CdS, reducing the PL efficiency. Studied band tailing in CdS weakly alloyed with CdTe and CdTe weakly alloyed with CdS. Fabricated superstrate ITO/CdS/CdTe cells on Mo substrates with efficiencies above 7.5%. Collaborated in studies of EXAFS of Cu in CdTe which indicate a Cu-Te bond length of 2.62 {angstrom} or 6.7% shorter than the CdTe, bond in agreement with calculations of Wei et al. Provided assistance to two groups on laser scribing. Comparatively studied the performance of a-SiGe solar cells and properties of a-SiGe single-layer films deposited using a wide range of H dilution, observed transition from a-SiGe to {mu}c-SiGe at high H dilution and the impact on cell performances. Comparatively studied the performance of a-SiGe solar cells and properties of a-SiGe single-layer films with different Ge contents, suitable for use as component cells of triple-junction devices. Fabricated a-Si-based solar cells on ultra-thin stainless-steel substrate (7.5 micron) and obtained equivalent performance and yield as on the regular SS substrates (127 microns). Comparatively studied the performance of a-Si-based solar cells on SS substrates and on SnO2-coated glass substrates. Studied the performance of p-layers deposited under various deposition conditions for n-i-p type solar cells. Performed an analysis for the component cell current-matching within a triple-junction solar cell.